A visit to Walt Disney World brings a lot of entertainment into your life. There’s always room for a bit more, though. When you’re at the parks with your friends, you want to have a good time. And that usually means teasing the people that you love. Here are some of the funniest pranks to pull at Walt Disney World.
The reluctant pilot
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge creates such an immersive atmosphere that you’ll forget that you’re at a theme park for a time. When you board Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, you’ll totally believe that your performance on this attraction comes with real-world implications. The Resistance is counting on you for coaxium and intergalactic credits!
The presumption when you enter the cockpit is that all six members of your stellar team will work together to pull off a heist. What happens when one of you turns heel, though?
I’ve ridden in Millennium Falcon when the pilot actively worked against the rest of the crew. It adds an element of danger that JJ Abrams or George Lucas could never create. We all feared for our lives and felt every vibration when the driver kept steering us into walls, and obstacles, and other spacecraft, and…
Seriously, the quickest way to make enemies on Batuu is to tank on Smugglers Run. People want a long time in line for this experience. You violate the social contract when you intentionally cause them to lose. It’s pretty funny.
The twisting rafter
When is the last time you rode Grizzly River Run or Kali River Rapids? Do you remember how the multi-person raft would rotate as it circled down the watery path? Did you know that you have some control over the spin cycles?
Yes, a group of three motivated guests can cause a splash of Hell for innocent riders on the other side of the raft. What you need to do is take a couple of practice runs. Learn where the soaking spots occur. Then, test your ability to spin the raft. It will require a bit of training.
Once you’re ready, persuade your friends to go for a ride with you. Then, just before you reach the hot spots, leverage your body weight to rotate the raft. You can absolutely drench your friends. Please don’t do this to strangers, though. It’s a total dick move.
The fan of the villains
Okay, this prank’s based on a real story. We love 1900 Park Fare and have a wonderful time interacting with the Evil Stepsisters. During one visit, Drizella asked us what we hated the most about Cinderella. We didn’t really have an answer at the time, which caused her to tease us about our lack of wit.
My wife, who always loves a challenge, compiled a list for the next time we ate a meal there. When the cast member portraying Drizella visited our table, we handed her the list. Well, it was a different person than before, and the horror in her eyes defied expression.
Clearly a Cinderella fan, she couldn’t even pretend like she was anything other than appalled by our list. She all but sprinted away from our table. We’ve had something similar happen at Storybook Dining at Artist Point. The Evil Queen honestly doesn’t expect people to pick her over Snow White and the Dwarfs. It’s quite fun to surprise a cast member with unpredictable behavior. Most of them adapt well to improvisation, too.
The poser picture
This one’s been done to death, but that doesn’t make it any less hysterical. The next time that you and some friends will visit Magic Kingdom, do some planning for your Splash Mountain ride.
Guests famously perform elaborate photo ops on this attraction. During the final drop, people pretend like they’re eating a meal or reading the newspaper or even playing a videogame. The crucial aspect of this trick is that everyone must work together. Otherwise, the non-prankers will stick out and thereby ruin the picture.
You really need up to eight people working together to sell the theme. You should come up with an idea ahead of time, as getting that many people organized at the last moment is difficult. Also, matched costumes are a must, as they establish continuity.
Grab some scrubs and pretend like you’re performing surgery or something. Wear baseball jerseys and have someone hold a bat while someone else pretends to pitch. Just have fun with it and remember! The best Splash Mountain pictures get immortalized forever! This is the nicest prank on the list since it doesn’t hurt anybody.
The track taunt
This prank is the toughest to pull off, as it only works once. You must find someone who has never ridden Expedition Everest before. Then, you need to sit with them as the ride cart ascends the Forbidden Mountain. You can guess where I’m going with this.
The most exciting moment on this roller coaster occurs when the train reaches the summit. At this point, the rider notices something unsettling. As this moment approaches, start freaking out.
Point out the broken tracks up ahead. Tell your friend that this isn’t part of the ride. Start acting like you need to signal someone that it’s an emergency. Oversell this bit to the best of your ability. Then, just before the ride begins to move again, say something like, “Everything’s fine as long as we don’t go backward.”
Presuming that you have any acting ability whatsoever, your companion will be in total freak-out mode during the entire ride. They’ll hate you afterward, but they will never forget that first journey to the Forbidden Mountain.
The spinning Space Ranger
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin presumes that you care about saving the galaxy from the evil Emperor Zurg. Star Command places you in charge of a spaceship and tasks you with the retrieval of batteries that could power an entire enemy fleet. Folks, those adorable Three-eyed Aliens will die if you fail.
The last thing that anyone would expect is a lack of effort on Space Ranger Spin. After all, you’re not merely becoming a Galactic Hero. You’re also earning bragging rights over the person sitting beside you in the vehicle. But here’s the thing.
You can “win” at this ride without accurate aim. All you need to have is a strong stomach and the willingness to upset your co-pilot. The most entertaining approach on Space Ranger Spin is just spinning the ride cart over and over again. Since you’re in control of the motion, it won’t make you as dizzy as your partner.
You can prank them with a bunch of sudden twists. Then, while they’re trying to avoid a protein spill, you can shoot enough batteries to win. This action is mean, duplicitous, and absolutely hilarious.
The gross beverage
Okay, the nature of this prank has changed recently, but the crux of it remains intact. Italian consumers possess THE worst taste in beverages. You’d think that wine artisans would have better palates, but they apparently don’t.
I’m referencing the Beverly, a soft drink that Italians willingly consumed for 40 years. This super-bitter beverage tastes like evil, but it’s disguised in Coke packaging. You can easily trick a friend into thinking that it tastes good. Now, that person will stop being your friend after a swig of this swill. But pranks always come with an element of risk.
Historically, you’d trick someone into sampling the Beverly at Club Cool, a spot in Epcot that Disney closed in late 2019. You can still pull off the trick; it’ll just take more effort now. You’ll need to persuade the victim to visit the Coca-Cola Store Rooftop Beverage Bar at Disney Springs.
Until Disney brings back Club Cool, which they may not, the official Coke establishment is the exclusive home to the Beverly in Orlando. So, order it and swear that it’s the greatest taste ever. Then, prepare to run when your friend tries this vile concoction and vows retaliation on you.
